burntpowder 23 Posted May 25, 2013 Report Share Posted May 25, 2013 (edited) After reading and soaking in everything for months now I finally have decided to make a post. I have wanted a Saiga 12 now for a few years and for whatever reason never pulled the trigger on one. Well back in late February I purchased one from Atlantic (only place at the time that had one in stock for under a grand). It was converted by CAI. Their conversion was the FCG moved forward, pistol grip, and the puck changed out to a Tapco. Also came with a Phantom Muzzel brake and the sporter stock. Anyhow I really like the firearm. I just wish I would have bought one years ago when hey were under $500 but live and learn. I did remove the sporter stock and put on a CSS Raptor but other than that it is pretty much how I was when I bought it although I have plans :-) Right out of the box I could shoot high brass/buck/slugs/3 inchers on the #1 gas setting with 100% reliability. Lighter loads were a bit different. I could shoot the $8-10 a box low brass loads on #2 without any problems but as it is posted on here by everyone, I wanted to shoot the cheap Winchester/Federal that can be gotten at Wally World/Dicks Sporting Goods/Dunham's for $26 for a hundred rounds. So all I could think of was putting more high powered loads through it and after about another 50 or so I could shoot the Winchester Universal and Federal bulk with maybe 1-3 FTE per 10 round mag. I did also get a 100 round bulk pack of Winchester Super Sport that is only 1oz shot, 2.75 DRAM, and runs at 1145FPS. This was 100% FTE.....not even enough power to get the spent shell to get stuck in the action........it just went right back in the chamber. I was not upset with the results of the Super Sport ammo......I sorta expected it but figured why not try it? However the results of Win Universal and Federal Bulk (both 1 1/8th oz shot and 3 DRAM) having FTE at all is not acceptable to me so I decided it was time to really take a look at JeffD's post titled "Modification to repair FTE issues on Saigas with blocked gas ports". My S12 is a 4-porter and the port closest to the muzzle was partially hidden. I could feel it with a paper clip but could not get a paper clip in it. So this morning I started removing the gas block. Taking the pins out was a real SOB as some have said but eventually I got them. Having a second pair of hands helped me greatly with all of these tasks. Before I filed the gas block hole into a D-Shape (did it later) I looked at the size of each of the 4 gas ports. They were all drilled to 1/16th or .0625 . After reading all of the posts here I knew that was too small so I drilled all 4 out to what a lot of people reported on here that they drilled their 4-porters out to.....5/64 or .078125 . Cleaned everything up and put it together and loaded up a 2x10 round mag with Winchester Universal, 2x10 round mag with Federal Bulk, and a 5 round mag with that Win Super Sport. On the #2 gas setting I had zero FTE on either of the 10 round mags and although I still did not expect much from the Super Sport ammo, I had 2 out of 5 FTE which I was actually pleased about since previously it was 100% FTE.One thing I keep saying to myself is this gun is not even broke in yet and I am very pleased with how it is shooting the low brass now. When time permits I will be looking to polish some of the popular contact areas.I would like to thank all of you for your posts on here. I never would have bought a S12 if there was not a resource like this site to provide pretty much anything you need to know about the firearm. -BP Edited May 25, 2013 by burntpowder 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunman1 1,753 Posted May 25, 2013 Report Share Posted May 25, 2013 Welcome to yer mightmare Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HighPlainsDrifter 466 Posted May 25, 2013 Report Share Posted May 25, 2013 Good post! Welcome to the addiction... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YOT 3,743 Posted May 25, 2013 Report Share Posted May 25, 2013 And welcome to the forum. Good reading isn't it! You should know that some will probably chastise you for the D-mod on the gas block. Pay no attention because, well, it's too late now...... and it works. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bobabuee 29 Posted May 25, 2013 Report Share Posted May 25, 2013 welcome Quote Link to post Share on other sites
burntpowder 23 Posted May 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2013 Thanks and yes this place is good reading! I check the site before I go to work in the morning and then a few times in the evening once I get home (site is blocked at work....grrrr). Anyhow I did not really see any other option other than doing the D-Mod. Looking at the ports from the muzzle end, the one at 9-o-clock was about 1/4th covered by the block (still could get a paper-clip in it though) but the one at 6-o-clock was 3/4th covered by the block and I could not get a paper-clip in it. I could not think of any other way to expose them than to make the gas block hole bigger. I did follow JeffD's post however I did not have to (and didn't) remove metal past the lip where the plug bottoms out. That lip still intact. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted May 25, 2013 Report Share Posted May 25, 2013 Welcome aboard. Congrats on getting your S-12 running like you want it. Makes the gun even more endearing knowing you had something to do with getting her running on low brass doesn't it? I wouldn't necessarily term it a "nightmare", more like an addiction that can become a nightmare when you start adding up receipts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
travistp 63 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 I think I used a 11/32 drill instead of the d mod.. I believthats what it was. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vulcan16 971 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 (edited) I think I used a 11/32 drill instead of the d mod.. I believthats what it was.You used a 11/32 drill? What size bit did you use? Pulled off the big "M" thing today. Edited May 26, 2013 by Jet Quote Link to post Share on other sites
travistp 63 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 I think I used a 11/32 drill instead of the d mod.. I believthats what it was.You used a 11/32 drill? What size bit did you use? Pulled off the big "M" thing today. What size was the drill that you gave me for the gas block again? I have it in my case and dont feel like pulling it out... Im happy , bet it was a blast for SURE! Congrats sir! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Seekerr048 0 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 Welcome to the party. I hope you enjoy tinkering with your weapon, it's a never ending process around here. Hope you like your new toy. Now go forth shoot trap, skeet, and whatever else makes you happy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigchris 31 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 Welcome! Nice first post, its good to see that u actually did your homework and did not have to ask the "same ol questions" that have already been answered a million plus times.... Lets see some pics! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sport Rescue 245 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 Welcome to our addiction..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunman1 1,753 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 Welcome! Nice first post, its good to see that u actually did your homework and did not have to ask the "same ol questions" that have already been answered a million plus times.... Lets see some pics! Pictures or it didn't happen............ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
burntpowder 23 Posted May 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 Haha I will try and get some pics up later today or tomorrow. And one thing I did forget to mention in the original post that travistp's reminded me of was I did use a 5/16th drill bit to first enlarge the gas port hole before doing any filing. I went through the bottom hole in the gas block (that is at the bottom of the barrel when assembled) since this gave me a straight line to the gas port hole in the block. That alone solved the 9-o-clock port hole being partially cover which I mentioned above and gave me a uniform hole to start with and then I began filing forward for that covered 6-o-clock port. -BP Quote Link to post Share on other sites
travistp 63 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 Awesome job then man. +1 for burntpowder. Now you can help all the minions here! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
burntpowder 23 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 (edited) Well here are some pictures so it did happen!!! First off, sorry the images are not better quality. I spend my money on guns and ammo and not digital cameras Most are just random picks but two show what the gas block/gas ports look like now. I put a paper clip in the 4th port to show it is now not blocked by the gas block. And now that I see these close up images I can do a little more cleanup on that block at a later time. I like symmetry and that is not my best work BUT the gun functions and who can really see that?.............but me knowing it is like that will eat at me until I clean it up. Next up will be polishing and then chopping the tang off so I can go with an internal block.........that is really more for looks because the LOP with the CSS Raptor (9 inches), a 1-inch ACE recoil pad, and the 1.75 inches the block add does not bother me and I am comfortable shooting it. Edited May 27, 2013 by burntpowder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
billybobski 1 Posted May 27, 2013 Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 I would say you started out right by BLUEPRINTING your gas ports but my post would be removed ,so I am not going to say that. This post is actually not even here. But enjoy your new "toy". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bunker83 22 Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 if your going to put some kind of ar stock on it dont cut the tang. look at rifledynamics.com. i have 3 of them, there great Quote Link to post Share on other sites
burntpowder 23 Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Thanks for the suggestion. I have been to that site before. I am actually planning on keeping the CSS Raptor and maybe putting a side-folder on it with an internal block. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunman1 1,753 Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Nice job! One mans dream is another mans nightmare Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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